The Legend of Bás Álainn
by RohrigPaslen
Summary: This is my final confession. I loved her you must know that.


The Legend of Bás Álainn Beautiful Death (A.K.A. Maeve of Reachrainn)

~Rohrig Paslen

Note: Reachrainn is an Island that lies in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin in Ireland. It is four kilometres (2 mi) offshore from the headland at Portrane and is the easternmost point of the province of Leinster. and has since had it's named changed to Lambay Island (from Old Norse _Lambey_, meaning 'lamb island')

Bás Álainn is Irish for Beautiful Death.

_Benen, Lord of Reachrainn, a final confession._

_To the church of God in Reachrainn, to the one who will hear my confession and pray for my soul as I near my end. I do not know how but she is alive, and I must write this down before she comes for vengeance. I am sorry Father, I have sinned. I do not have the time to fully say what I need to, but in order for you to understand I must start at the beginning, from when she first had arrived._

_As you know, Vikings had been invading Ireland and the surrounding areas for a couple of seasons now, and the invasions had only been getting worse. A group from Brega had been sent to this Island to protect the land and the church. What I was not expecting was for the leader of this small group of scouts to be a woman. A very angelic woman, beautiful in form and appearance. I loved her as soon as I first laid eyes on her._

_In hearing this you may have believed this to be a sin since she was not of the church, but I could not help myself, I was weak to her beauty and her mind. Her beautiful brown locks were pulled back in braids, intertwined with thorn vines, and her skin was a beautiful golden, marked with scars of battles previous. Instead of a dress she wore leather and chain armour. A shield was strapped to her back and a sword was in its scabbard on her side. Her name was Maeve, a scout and warrior (this you probably know). She was wise and strong, able to work out battle strategies, with knowledge of the local area, insight into the oncoming enemy, and able to wield her sword with great skill and strength. _

_As you must know, most here in Reachrainn looked down upon her for doing a man's job. While I do agree that she should not be in such a position, I could not deny that she was skilled. She simply should not have been doing that which God had given to men. I'm sure you would agree that she just needed someone to help guide her to the Lord. She needed to be saved. And who better to save her then I? I loved her, I wanted her, and I was sure she wanted me as well. On the 14th night that she had been in Reachrainn I finally asked Maeve to be my wife. I told her that I loved her and that I wanted to guide her to the Lord. _

_To my joy she told me that she loved me, but proceeded to destroy that joy by stating that she could not marry me. That she could not follow the rules of the church, that she could not just watch over the affairs of the household. Then the call of invasion came from the harbor and she ran off._

_She denied me. She loved me, but refused to leave her ways. Could she not see that her ways were wrong and sinful? It is the man's job to protect women. I went away from her in anger. Why could she not changer her ways? Why could I not have her? She was supposed to ne mine. I was worried. You can understand this, Father and brothers of the church, can you not? I couldn't let her find another, one who would lead her further astray. As I ran towards the harbor, I realized I had to do something. _

_My closest friends, Liam and Oisin, met me as we reached the battle that was upon us. Far off to the side of the battle, I noticed Maeve cornered by a few of the Viking invaders. She was fighting them off with her sword in hand and her shield up blocking blows. She was surrounded. When Liam and Oisin went to assist her, I pulled them back and just watched. She had just then noticed me and had called out for help. I just watched her. In that moment of distraction, her shield was knocked out of her hand and the Viking sword slashed at her neck. Her hand that had been holding her shield went up to her throat. Somehow, she still stood and for a handful of moments, she fought back, before she collapsed. We watched as one of the large men went to fully behead her. That is when Liam, Oisin, and I ran to her aid. Liam and Oisin where able to kill the two men that began to charge in our direction, while I had taken my crossbow and shot the last man in the head before he could deal the final blow. As soon as he went down, I walked to my collapsed and choking Maeve. She looked up at me as she slowly died. I had taken a quick look around and noticed a small secluded area to the side that was covered in Deadly Nightshade. Picking her up I walked over to the bush. I told her that I loved her before I tossed her into the bush and waited for her to breathe her last breath. I allowed myself a quick moment to appreciate her beauty, for she was as beautiful in death as she was in life, before we had walked away. All I had told Liam and Oisin was "Now no one can have her."_

_When we regrouped, we explained that Maeve had fallen. Her people and ours mourned for her and all the others lost in the battle. People had gone away to continue putting out fires and to see what was left from the raids. The three of us went our own ways and that was that. Or so we thought. _

_The next day Liam was found, poisoned and throat slit, a branch of Deadly Nightshade tucked into the front of his armour. I can still see his purple lips and his pale skin. Oisin was distraught upon seeing Liam. I am sure you remember how quickly we brought his body to you, and how quickly we left in tears. Did you wonder where we went? Oisin and I quickly ran to where I had dumped Maeve. As we approached, both of us were shaken and filled with fear. Her body was no longer there. The only evidence of her having been there was broken branches and blood. Was she alive? Such a thing could only be the work of the devil. We cut at the branches to see if an animal had dragged her body off, but no body could be found. There were no drag marks either. This clearly was the devils work. We had to return._

_As we turned to leave, Oisin was tackled to the ground, a sword placed at his throat, Maeve atop him, wielding it. She had changed, Father and brothers. Her skin had become pale, her veins showing through her skin, purple and green as if Nightshade vines had grown under her skin. Her lips were a dark purple, and her hair, armour and weapons had Deadly Nightshade twisting through and around them._

_I called out her name, and when she looked at me, I realized her once crystal blue eyes were now purple. "I am __Bás Álainn,_

_You killed me. The Nightshade saved me. You hurt us so I now will kill you." With that she sliced Oisin's throat, and watched as he slowly died. In that moment, I ran. I only just made it into my house and boarded it up. I do not think I have long till she comes for me Father. You must understand that I did what I had to. I am sorry Father that I had to keep this truth to you._

_I , Benen, Lord of Reachrainn, write this confession with _


End file.
